Wreckers Island (romantic suspense) Read Online Free PDF

other’s affections and Dan and Emma appeared to have accepted that their
respective hopes of romance had been dashed.
    John boiled the kettle and put out four mugs
in a row. ‘Cup of tea, girls?’ he asked as Louise and Emma walked into the
kitchen. ‘Did you have a good night’s sleep?’
    They nodded as they picked up their mugs of
steaming tea and took them into the lounge. They pulled rugs around them while
Louise got the fire going. Even though it was summer, the lighthouse would remain
chilly with wind and rain pounding it on all sides.
    ‘I think we are officially grounded today,’
declared Emma, stating the obvious. ‘You know what, I don’t mind the odd day
like this when I’m on holiday, it’s such a good excuse to relax and catch up on
reading.’
    The others agreed. Although different in
their own ways, they were intelligent, thoughtful people who had got to Oxford
University for a good reason – they were studious and highly talented. They
were the sort who rarely got bored because they always found something interesting
to do with their time.
    ‘Let’s chill out playing cards, reading our
Kindles, drinking hot chocolate, eating some of those muffins we bought
yesterday and enjoying the glorious view of the stormy sea,’ continued Emma, sounding
cheerful and relaxed.
    She was visibly happy and Dan pondered
whether possibly Louise had told her nothing was going on between her and John.
Had Emma let Louise know that John did, in fact, fancy her? Dan guessed not. Maybe
Emma would make a pass at him sooner or later. If only he had asked her out
sooner, but there was no point thinking like that, if it was meant to be, it
was meant to be. As for him, being a similar type to her, a day ‘indoors’, feet
up, hot drink and a good book, plus a stunning sea view sounded perfect.
    By mid-morning the storm was raging overhead
and the sea looked dark and angry. The sight from the lighthouse was breathtaking.
    ‘You can imagine, can’t you, what it must
have been like aboard a creaking old vessel centuries ago and coming to grief
on the terrible rocks around here in weather like this,’ mused John, staring
through the window.
    ‘Oh yes, and from what I know many did – the
wreckers caused some ships to founder, but others were simply lost due to the
storms and strong currents,’ said Louise. ‘Whatever the reason, the outcome was
always the same, when ships broke up, the smugglers and looters would be on the
shore within minutes, waiting for valuables to wash up and pinching whatever
they could.
    ‘I would love to know more about the history
of smuggling and wrecking along the Cornish coast,’ said Dan. ‘I don’t suppose
there are any books on it in the lighthouse, are there, Louise?’
    ‘Hmmm, not books as such I don’t think.
There are modern books about the shipwrecks round here and some of the
treasures they contained, but I don’t think we have any in the lighthouse.’
    She paused, thinking hard. ‘I tell you what
there is, in the cellar there are some old legal documents relating to the
lighthouse and a box of papers and some old record books and ledgers of various
kinds. So my parents said anyway. Apparently some of them are in Spanish or something
in a spidery copper-plate handwriting and my parents couldn’t make head nor
tail of it.’
    ‘That sounds interesting,’ said Dan. ‘I know
some Spanish, I might be able to translate it.’
    ‘Also,’ said John, ‘I’ve been wanting a
chance to explore this lighthouse more and go down that cellar, if that’s ok
Louise.’
    ‘Of course it is,’ she replied, ‘it’s musty in
there and not terribly interesting, but let’s go and have a look if you like.’
    Louise flicked a lever on the wall and a
hole opened in the floor beneath the spiral staircase. They could see steps
leading below. Louise lit an oil lamp to take as there was no natural light.
    The cellar had that musty, salty, fish and
oilskins smell that you get on ships and